City of Santa Monica issued the following announcement on Sept. 13.
Beginning today, the Santa Monica Fire Department is proud to announce the launch of a brand-new type of emergency resource, the Community Response Unit (CRU). The CRU looks like a typical ambulance staffed by two Firefighters, yet it has a distinct mission: to provide an alternative response to 9-1-1 calls to better address the needs of vulnerable populations in Santa Monica, including people experiencing homelessness. The Santa Monica City Council funded the CRU in the FY 2021 – 2023 budget as a priority project to address homelessness, one of the City’s top three community priorities.
“The Santa Monica City Council wholeheartedly moved the Community Response Unit forward earlier this year as one new investment to meet our community priority of addressing homelessness,” said Mayor Sue Himmelrich. “The CRU’s ‘one meaningful intervention at a time approach’ will help improve outcomes for individuals experiencing homeless and will serve as an additional team on our streets to meet this crisis head on.”
A standard Paramedic Fire Engine and Ambulance is designed to quickly assess, treat, and transport patients to hospital emergency rooms and then be ready for the next emergency. However, when a 9-1-1 call is less urgent and the solution is not necessarily the emergency room, the CRU goes to work and has the latitude to spend more time on scene to help connect those in need with more appropriate resources. Additionally, this team has the unique distinction of being able to transport people experiencing a behavior health crisis to a psychiatric urgent care center, rather than an emergency room. The CRU will work in collaboration with other City departments, regional agencies, and non-profits to help bridge the gap for housing and other support services. Another important goal of the program is to help keep Paramedics, Firefighters, and emergency room resources available for higher acute care services.
Firefighters assigned to the CRU have received specialized training in mental health emergencies, crisis communications, de-escalation, and substance use disorders.
“These highly trained Santa Monica Fire Department professionals look forward to serving the Santa Monica community and helping those in need with specialized interventions and access to supportive services,” said Interim Fire Chief Wolfgang Knabe. “This is something our team has been working toward for a long time and this launch is a big day for us as we evolve our service to uniquely meet the community’s needs.”
The CRU will be in service Monday through Thursday during peak hours.
For more information, visit www.santamonicafire.org.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Santa Monica
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